Birdrock Surf Forecast, San Diego County, California

Live

San Diego County, California

Old Man's at Tourmaline0-1ft Windansea Beach1-2ft Pacific Beach1-2ft

Current Conditions

Poor

Wave Height

1-2ft

ankle to knee high

Swell Period

14.35s

Wind

7mph

SSW / Gusts 12mph

Conditions

Poor

Active Swells

Primary

1.0ft @ 3sS

Secondary

0.8ft @ 11sSSW

Tertiary

0.7ft @ 14sSW

Nearby Webcams

Daily Forecast

3 of 5 days

Tue, Mar 311-2ft

Poor

6am9am12pm3pm

Wed, Apr 11-2ft

Poor

Pretty quiet out there — 1-2ft and mostly poor with light S winds. Expect the wind to bump up to around 8mph by PM.

6am9am12pm3pm

10s SSW|4-9mph WSW

Thu, Apr 22-3ft

Poor

Not the most exciting day — 1-2ft and poor conditions with moderate NW wind around 8mph.

6am9am12pm3pm

8s WSW|7-9mph NW

Sat

3ft

Swell building Fri, Apr 3Fair

8s period — conditions are improving beyond your forecast

Forecast Charts

Birdrock Surf Spot Guide

Break

Reef

Bottom

Rock

Level

Intermediate

Crowd

Light

Best Swell

Best Wind

Season

Winter

Birdrock is a collection of reef breaks between Pacific Beach and Windansea in La Jolla that only start working at overhead-plus size, requiring a significant paddle to reach. South Bird Rock and North Bird Rock are the main breaks. North Bird can hold shape on the very largest swells — the bigger it gets, the further out it breaks. The kelp bed outside provides natural wind protection.

Flat rock reef with urchinsLong paddle outNeeds overhead+ swellSome localism

Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.

Birdrock Surf Forecast FAQ

What is the current surf forecast for Birdrock?

The current wave height at Birdrock is 1-2ft with a 14.35s swell period. Wind is SSW at 7mph. Conditions are rated Poor.

How accurate is the Birdrock surf forecast?

Our Birdrock forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable. Extended forecasts show general trends.

What is the breaking wave height at Birdrock?

The current breaking wave height at Birdrock is 1-2ft, produced by a 1ft S primary swell at 3s, a 0.8ft SSW secondary swell at 11s, a 0.7ft SW tertiary swell at 14s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.

When is the best time to surf Birdrock?

Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Birdrock is Thursday from 11 AM to 2 PM with 3ft waves, a 12.6s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.